New Realities in the Management of Student Affairs: Emerging Specialist Roles and Structures for Changing Times

Tull, Ashley, Ed.; Kuk, Linda, Ed.

Stylus Publishing, LLC

Student affairs organizations are at a crossroads. They face expanding enrollments; a concomitant increase need for often more complex services; changing demographics; a growing cohort of non-traditional and first-generation students; shifting and more demanding responsibilities; and increased expectations from the greater campus community, parents, and external constituents. These challenges are intensified by the accelerating speed of advancements in technology, globalization, innovation, and student consumerism; and by the long-term reality of shrinking resources, and limitations on the ability to increase tuition and fees. This book shares alternative ideas about organizational design, and about ways to restructure roles and responsibilities to enable student affairs organizations to respond to these challenges and demands more effectively at a time of reduced resources. It also addresses the many emerging roles that student affairs organizations are increasingly being expected to address--such as IT, fund raising and development, external communications, human resources management and professional development, as well as research and assessment--and describes approaches developed by a variety of institutions. The contributors also pay attention to the solutions appropriate for smaller institutions, and for community colleges. They explore the various dimensions of change and offer frameworks to help student affairs leaders and practitioners to more effectively understand and manage the changes they are confronting; and describe ideas and solutions adopted by others within the profession. This book is divided into three parts. Part I, Introduction, Contexts and Current Practices With Specialist Roles and Structures, contains the following: (1) Introduction (Linda Kuk); (2) The Context For Using Specialist Roles and Matrix Structures In Student Affairs Organizations (Linda Kuk); and (3) Survey Of Current Practices With Specialist Roles and Structures (Ashley Tull and Nick Rammell). Part II, Emerging Specialist Roles Within Student Affairs Organizations, contains the following: (4) Changing Roles and Responsibilities in Student Affairs Technology (Leslie Dare and Kyle Johnson); (5) Emerging Roles and Responsibilities in Student Affairs Development (James Rychner and Linda Clement); (6) Emerging Roles and Responsibilities in Student Affairs Communications (Chris Heltne); (7) Emerging Roles and Responsibilities of the Student Affairs Assistant To (Sherry Mallory, Evette Castillo Clark and Bernie Shulz); (8) Changing Roles and Responsibilities in Student Affairs Human Resources and Professional Development (Allison Hawkins Crume); (9) Emerging Roles and Responsibilities of The Student Affairs Chief Of Staff and Director Of Administration (Cynthia Bonner and Allyn Fleming); (10) Changing Roles and Responsibilities in Student Affairs Auxiliary Services (Jerrid Freeman and Dean Bresciani); and (11) Changing Roles and Responsibilities in Student Affairs Research and Assessment (Marilee J. Bresciani). Part III, Emerging Specialist Roles and Structures In Student Affairs Organizations: Institutional and Organizational Implications, contains the following: (12) Strategic Planning and Budget Concerns Related To Emerging Roles and Structures In Student Affairs Organizations (Kathy Cavins-Tull); (13) Emerging Specialist Roles and Structures In Student Affairs Organizations At Small Colleges and Universities (Frank P. Ardaiolo and Kathleen M. Callahan); (14) Emerging Specialist Roles and Structures In Student Affairs Organizations At Community Colleges (Bette Simmons); (15) Preparation and Training For Changing and Emerging Specialist Roles For Those Not Training In Traditional Methods (Linda Kuk); and (16) Concluding Thoughts and Recommendations (Ashley Tull and Linda Kuk). An index is included.